Catskill Art Society buys its building

November 22, 2011 —

The Catskill Art Society (CAS) is now the owner of the building that it has occupied for the last four years at 48 Main Street in Livingston Manor. The space, once a movie theater, was redesigned to house CAS in 2007. The building includes two galleries, classrooms and an exhibition space in a large center hall on the first floor, as well as a still-raw upstairs space, planned as theater space and artists’ studios.

Before moving to its current location in 2007, CAS had been located in the Sullivan County Museum building in Hurleyville. In 2008, the CAS building was one of many that went into foreclosure during the economic slowdown. To avoid future uncertainties, CAS decided to purchase the building itself. Using donor and matching funds, it raised $100,000 and received a loan for another $100,000. The purchase closed on October 14.

As a property owner in Livingston Manor, CAS now has the opportunity to apply for grants from private and state-run organizations that are not available to tenants.